Jesus ChristTrue God, True Man

Our Lady of Lourdes High SchoolGrade 9 Religion

Mrs. Safford

GOD INCARNATE

Questions to think about…

• What is the relationship between “Jesus in History” and “Christ in Faith?”

• What is the significance of the Incarnation?

What is the relationship between “Jesus in History” and “Christ in Faith?”

• Some scholars attempt to divorce the “Jesus of History” from the “Christ of Faith.”

• These scholars reduce the former to a mere man, and the latter to a religious fantasy.

• In reality, the “Jesus of History” and the “Christ of Faith” are one and the same: his salvific message is validated by the Resurrection.

What is the significance of the Incarnation?

• The infinite God, who is beyond the limitations of human comprehension, emptied himself to become a man, offering himself as a sacrifice to reconcile human beings to himself.

THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST

Questions to think about…

• How can it be known that Christ actually existed?

• What does it mean to say that Christ was truly man?

• What passions did Christ exist?• How are they different from other people?

How can it be known that Christ actually existed?

• Besides the testimony of his followers, contemporary Jewish and pagan writers attested to the existence of Christ.

• During Jesus’ life:1. He was seen by thousands of people.2. There are 4 authentic accounts of his life (the

Gospels)3. Numerous letter by his followers were written.4. Several pagan and Jewish manuscripts attest to his

existence.

What does it mean to say Christ was truly man?

• Christ was truly man, a descendent of Adam, through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• Like every human being, he experienced emotions and suffered but was without sin.

• He worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted with a human will,, and loved with a human heart.

• Video: God in Human form

How are they different from other people?

• Because he was not subject to original sin, Christ’s passions were not disordered but always subject to reason and followed the will of his Father.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST

Questions to think about…

• Is Jesus Christ God?• Why do Arians deny the divinity of Christ?• What does the Nicene Creed affirm about

Christ?

Is Jesus Christ God?

• The Scriptures reveal Jesus Christ to be the true and only Begotten Son of God.

• Christ did not have a biological father, since he was the begotten son of his Father in Heaven.

Why do Arians deny the divinity of Christ?

• Arians teach being human is incompatible with greatness and oneness of God.

• Therefore, Christ is a superior human being and great prophet, he is similar, but not the same nature of God.

• Video: How do we know God exists?

What does the Nicene Creed affirm about Christ?

• Christ is begotten of God the Father but not created.

• He is true God, of the same nature as the Father.

Homework

Define the meanings of the following words:• Divine filiation• Divinity• Hypostatic Union• Immanuel• Messiah• New Covenant• Pascal Sacrifice• Pentecost• Theandric Acts

TRUE GOD, TRUE MAN

Questions to think about…

• What is the hypostatic union?• What is the source of Christ’s two natures?• How is Christ the “New Adam?”• What are theandric acts?

What is the hypostatic union?

• The hypostatic union us the union of the human and divine natures in the one divine person, Jesus Christ.

• Christ possesses a human body and a human intellect and will.

• Christ’s humanity was assumed by the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

• All acts of Christ are theandric or divine-human acts.

What is the source of Christ’s two natures?

• As God the Son, he always possesses his divine nature from God the Father,

• As man, he received the human nature from the Blessed Virgin Mary, his mother.

How is Christ the “New Adam?”

• Christ obeyed the Father, whereas Adam did not, and his obedience made up for Adam’s disobedience.

What are theandric acts?

• Because Jesus’ actions are unified, all Christ acts are theandric, or divine/human.

THE PROMISED MESSIAH

Questions to think about…

• How does the old concept of the Messiah relate to Christ?

• Why did most Jewish people have a hard time accepting Christ’s identification with God?

• What concept of the Messiah did Christ reject?

How does the old concept of Messiah relate to Christ?

• Jesus is the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets.

• Messiah means “anointed” and refers to the one who had oil poured over their head.

• Men chosen by God were anointed as a sign of God’s favor: kings, priests, and prophets.

Who is the Messiah according to Daniel?

• A great Messiah will establish an everlasting kingdom.

• “With the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man…and to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him, his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.” (Dn 7: 13-14)

Why did most Jewish people have a hard time accepting Christ’s identification with God?

• It seem to clash with the unity of God and God’s transcendent nature.

What concept of the Messiah did Christ reject?

• Many Jews were looking for a political or military leader who would drive out the Roman occupiers, and restore the great stature of the Kingdom of Israel.

• Christ told Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world.

REDEMPTION

Questions to Think About…

• Who came to redeem man?• Did Christ freely save us?• How are we able to follow Christ?• What is the cup of the New Covenant?• What is the significance of the Resurrection?

Who came to redeem man?

• Only God is capable of redeeming human beings from sin, and he did through his son, Jesus Christ.

• Video: Why tell sins to a priest?

Did Christ freely save us?

• Christ freely embraced the Father’s plan of Redemption.

• God allowed the betrayal and crucifixion of Christ because this accomplished his plan of salvation.

How are we able to follow Christ?

• Through his redemption, Christ gives the grace to follow him.

• The significance of the Resurrection is that it confirms the truth of what Christ said and did, is proof of the divinity, fulfills the prophesies of the Old Testament.

• Christ also reinstated God’s grace, makes people brothers and sisters of Christ, and is the source of future resurrection.

What is the cup of the New Covenant?

• The cup of the New Covenant is that God the Father’s will that his Son sacrifice himself for the sins of man.

• Video: How do we know Jesus Rose?

CHRIST AS VIEWED BY OTHER RELIGIONS

Question to think about…

• How is Christ seen by the major world religions?

How is Christ seen by the major world religions?

• Jews see Christ as an influential rabbi who founded a new religion rooted in Judaism.

• Muslims see Christ as a great prophet, lesser than Mohammed.

• Buddhists see Christ as an enlighted guide on the spiritual journey.

• Hindus see Christ as a great spiritual teacher and possibly an incarnation of God.

• Video: Are all religions equal?

What were some of the factors that influenced the teaching of Islam about Christianity?

• The Old Testament and the beliefs of Christians in Arabia at the one time of Mohammed influenced Islam.

How does the Koran see Christ?

• Christ is a great prophet who teaches the truths of monotheism and submission to God.

How do Muslims see the Blessed Virgin Mary?

• She is given the great importance in the Korean and considered the greatest of women.

• Shrines of Mary are holy places to Muslims.

How do Muslims view of Christianity differ from the Church?

• Islam views the Blessed Trinity to be irreconcilable with monotheism.

• However, Jews and Muslims both reject the central belief of Christianity, that Christ is the Son of God, who gave the fullness of God’s Revelation to his people.

Why do Buddhists see Christ in a positive way?

• They see Christ as a man of compassion who was illuminated by divine truths. Buddhists see Christ as having achieved nirvana, thus liberating himself from the material world and reaching a path of true peace and happiness.

• However, Buddhists’ beliefs imply a person can achieve salvation by his or her own efforts in such a system, God himself is not necessary.

Why be a Catholic?

• Video: Why Be a Catholic?

What are the Hindus view of Christ?

• Christ represents a great teacher of the spiritual life, one of the many incarnations of God, or a great prophet.

• However, God became man not only to communicate the fullness of Revelation, but also to die for sins. This is missing from the Hindu’s view of Christ.

HomeworkChoose one different religion than Catholic.Create a poster highlighting: • how this religion is similar to the Catholic

religion.• how this religion is different than the Catholic

religion.• Bonus: if you include pictures of the different

religion or leader you chose.

Citations• Why Be A Catholic? ScriptureCatholic.com. Posted on Jan. 30, 2009 at https://

youtu.be/vGHzKMMcuB8• Are All Religions Equal? Catholic Answers. Posted on 12/16/10 at https://

youtu.be/o0MYzb72v0U• How Do We Know Jesus Rose? Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Bishop Hying.

Posted on Mar. 29, 2013 at https://youtu.be/NXaVfoWDcB4• Why Tell Sins to a Priest? Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Bishop Hying. Posted on

Jun. 7, 2013 at https://youtu.be/Ve4np1XDE70• How do We Know God Exists? Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Bishop Hying. Posted

on Oct. 18, 2012 at https://youtu.be/Ndf9OoDooLU• God in Human Form? Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Bishop Hying. Posted on Dec.

21, 2012 at https://youtu.be/6K6D6Vwvq5E• Book: Armenio, Rev. Peter. Faith and Revelation: The Blessed Trinity. 1st ed.

Woodridge: Midwest Theological Forum, 2009. • Pictures were taken from various sources via Google images